The National Anthem
With the contagion of these displays by athletics during the playing of our National Anthem, we are seeing classic predictable sequences playing out that relate to business cycles, political correctness and the violation of our core values. These all have patterns that can not be ignored without experiencing very unpleasant consequences that can impact the future of our country.
In my editorial, the art of compromise, I addressed the ingredients needed to avoid these “unintended consequences”. Our purpose in life is to make the world a better place by living the core values of honesty, fairness, sustainability and integrity but the country seems to have an infection of apathy and indifference that is playing out in a very visible way by these displays by players during the playing of our country’s anthem.
The NFL’s business model is in the latter throws of a natural death cycle that every person and business follows: they are born, grow up and die. Companies like Sears, Eastman Kodak, General Motors and Bethlehem Steel are all examples. The NFL is rapidly becoming another casualty.
They are overplaying their hand by following a dishonest model of seeing how far they can insult and abuse their audience before losing money. They pimp their players, charge a small fortune for tickets, the rule changes make the game almost unwatchable, they play in publicly funded facilities while taking a self serving, political correct positions like spouse abuse, breast cancer and racism, not because they believed in those causes, but because the think it would increase their viewing audience.
Now they are allowing players, who must otherwise live under very strict team and league rules, to express a politically correct positions that seems to impugn patriotism under the guise of free speech. This is ironic because they did not allow the players to express any tribute to the five assassinated police officers from Dallas by putting a decal on the Cowboy’s helmet. This is only one example of hypocrisy and is insulting to anyone who likes football.
The league seems to resent the president for pointing out this hypocrisy and they hide behind the PC mantra by saying: it is divisive and hurtful to criticize the players for expressing their first amendment rights.
No position is purely black and white, no pun intended, and there are always incidences of bad behavior that must be deal with. But to spin it to look like the entire country agrees with it is wrong. The sad part is their positions are propagandized by fake new with most of these players too dim to realize they are pawns in the political correctness war that violates all the country’s core values and spits in the face of patriotism, not the mention the system that allowed these players to make millions doing something they love.
The solution is simple. If any business fails to realize they are violating the core values that made this country the greatest country in the world, stop patronizing that company. In this case, if you want to watch professional football, watch it only to see what products we should all boycott.
This will quickly self correct this charade.
This is Keith Kube wishing you the best in making the world a better place.
National Anthem (AUDIO) – CLICK HERE
Keith Kube, of Crofton, is a business analyst and author of two books on business management. During his career as an engineer, investment banker and business analyst he identified traits commonly overlook that are vital for all successful business operations. You can hear all his past editorials by going to his website: www.keithkube.com
